The same stressors that cause cancer in people also cause cancer in cats and dogs; or rabbits and mice for that matter. Cancer is the leading cause of death in cats, and after euthanasia the number one killer of dogs as well. Any multi-cellular creature that tries to exist in our oxygen rich environment, from ant to acrocanthosaurus, is subject to constant cellular bombardment and degeneration from free radical formation. Degeneration that is the road to cancer.

Formula: Cancer: I understand cancer, know how to prevent it, how to stop it once it’s started, even how to grab the coat tails of someone who’s been sent home to die with it, and give them back their years. From my experience I see cancer as a mathematical equation that looks something like the following, elegant and predictable:

Cells are damaged and free radicals created in your pet’s body by many stressors: (a) naturally, of course, as a result of simple metabolism, but also from (b) irritation, like a too tight collar or harness that frays the coat and leaves underskin red and tender, (c) injury, like getting a paw run over by a full shopping cart in the parking lot, causing tenderness, (d) infection, like that from stepping on a nail or eating an infected rodent, (e) toxins, like radiation or cigarette smoke, (f) poor diet, that has a lower level of anti-oxidants than the amount of free radicals created, and (g) other stressors specific to an individual animal.

HOW A PET’S CELLS ARE DAMAGED AND CONVERTED TO FREE RADICALS

Your pet’s body is comprised of cells. Inside a cell, each electron has to have a partner electron in order for the cell to remain stable and healthy—and non cancerous. In other words, the two electrons have to remain together inside the cell or there will be trouble. Trouble comes when something happens to damage the bond between the partnered electrons in a healthy cell. If they become separated, or one of them is destroyed, the single electron left behind becomes a free radical, unstable and dangerous.

The single electron, who is now a free radical, goes berserk when it finds itself suddenly alone, without its partner electron. (How would you feel if someone took your spouse or partner away?) It turns and immediately attacks a nearby healthy cell that has both electrons. It desperately tries to break them apart, so it can steal one electron and become stable and healthy again itself. If it is successful it once again becomes stable with its stolen electron, but the cell it disrupted and stole from becomes a free radical itself and continues the angry process. A cascade effect leads to severe cellular damage and mutations like cancer.

As an analogy, think of the bonded electrons in a healthy cell as a married couple in a social system where being single is prohibited. In this system, two people (electrons) who are part of a marriage are stable, acceptable. No problem. Live long and prosper. But a single person (electron) without a partner is a free radical who can only prosper by breaking up another married pair. Like someone who breaks up a marriage and runs off with one of the partners, free radicals seek to destroy other nearby stable cellular relationships for their own benefit, so they can survive. A free radical is an electron fighting for its life.

Although free radicals are a natural part of living, like the home wrecker, when too many of them build up due to the factors listed above, you have oxidation and inflammation. Any area of the body can take a certain amount of free radical growth in their neighborhoods and be fine. It’s when too many free radicals show up that the problems begin. Think of your own house or apartment. If you were having a party and planned on 15 guests, how chaotic would it be if 1500 people showed up?

WHEN TOO MANY FREE RADICALS ARE CREATED YOU HAVE OXIDATION

Oxidation is predicated on reaching a threshold level of free radicals that overwhelms the body. The simplest way of thinking about oxidation is that it is spoilage, aging, decay, and eventual cell death. You know what happens to an avocado slice left out in the “open air.” The exposed flesh turns brown from contact with oxygen. It oxidizes, spoils, due to an excess of free radicals. The same thing happens inside your body. After a while the avocado will begin to brown and rot, and you won’t eat it. That’s a good instinct, because you would be literally eating free radicals! That’s why you should never eat salad that has browned, or other food that is obviously past its prime, unless you absolutely have to. Broadly speaking, living on Earth is being left out in the “open air” and that’s why aging is another form of oxidation caused by free radicals.

HOW ANTI-OXIDANTS NEUTRALIZE FREE RADICALS AND PREVENT INFLAMMATION AND CANCER

Anti-oxidants protect your pet’s body from free radical damage because they have a unique characteristic. Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons to the free radical, helping it to become partnered and healthy again. It’s as if the anti-oxidant marries the free radical and thereby calms it down.

An anti-oxidant cell also has two partnered electrons, but wonderfully, anti-oxidants are stable in either form, as a single electron or a married pair. Unlike the partnered electrons in a healthy cell that become free radicals when separated, anti-oxidants give up one of their electrons without becoming a free radical.

Anti-oxidants stop the problem at its source. When an anti-oxidant cell encounters a free radical it ends the electron-stealing chain reaction by freely donating one of its electrons, turning the free radical back into a healthy cell. Like evil Mr. Hyde drinking an antidote and turning back into the good Dr. Jekyll.

As an animal’s guardian, you have a choice to either let free radicals run loose in your pet’s system, and hope they don’t turn into cancer, and subject it to surgery if they do. Or you can send in anti-oxidants to partner with the free radicals and return them to normalcy, thereby avoiding disease without stressing the animal.

The first thing a sous chef does after cutting avocado slices, and before serving them with your grilled chicken sandwich, is to sprinkle on some lemon or lime juice. She does this because the anti-oxidants in the citrus keep the flesh from turning brown and decaying right in front of you. The same thing can happen in your pet’s body, because anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals. Your pets need Beta Carotene in supplement form to avoid cancer. If you have an outdoor cat who regularly hunts and eats its kills there is a greater risk of free radicals.

Make sure you feed your pet with a quality pet food. Read the labels of the pet food you purchase. If it’s made out of animal by products instead of real meat, with strange sounding additives that have no food value, or doesn’t have added supplements, you’re putting your pet at risk. Poor quality food won’t give your animal companion any more protection against cancer than it does you. Your animals need enough anti-oxidants to fight the free radical production that comes from a natural part of living. It is the lack of anti-oxidants that causes your cats and dogs to get cancer.

SAMIRA THE CALICO

Samira has the softest white coat you’ve ever touched, with random sized patches of black and rust, especially on her tail. She is both dainty and thug like. Will sit primly in your lap purring and accepting caresses until you think you’ve lost the use of both legs to circulation failure. And then suddenly lean over and bite her housemate, Trill, sleeping nearby. Or bound across the room in two leaps to attack, Phoebe, her other housemate. She also has daily skirmishes with an imaginary enemy that no one but she can see. She gets in such a frenzy chasing and running from this specter that I have photos of her twisting manically five feet in the air. She might suddenly decide that Trill needs grooming. And she can be a very aggressive groomer, sometimes using her tongue like a slap upside the head.

Sami is also a cancer survivor, but only because she underwent the terrifying ordeal of surgery to remove a tumor on her leg. Sami had a rough start in life, and the stress from the various elements of that ordeal are what caused her to get excess free radicals, which escalated into inflammation and cancer. I was around Sami while she had her surgery, and saw firsthand how unhappy it made her and her guardians. By supplementing your pets’ diets with Beta Carotene you can all avoid the cancer trauma.

The following was written by David Rubincam, who saved Samira’s life. It is excerpted from a longer version that first appeared in the online newsletter of Vashon Island Pet Protectors, a no kill nonprofit. For a photo of Samira visit vipp.org. Click “Adopt” and “Paw Print Stories.”

SAMIRA’S LONG JOURNEY TO THE UNITED STATES

I worked as the Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2008. Nothing in the U.S. can prepare you for the harsh and inhospitable landscape in Saudi Arabia, which has the world’s largest desert, Rub al-Khali, and the dubious distinction of being a country with no permanent rivers or bodies of water. Yet even in the most unforgiving places, you can discover miracles that result from the actions of many good people. One of those miracles was Samira, whose name means “delightful companion,” in Arabic. I chose that name because it perfectly describes her, a small, mostly white Calico.

Unlike Americans, Saudis generally don’t keep pets. The cats you do see are usually street strays with a projected life span of four miserable years in the hostile, arid climate. Kittens usually die in their first week.

I spent time in a remote desert area at a security airbase protected by the Saudi Royal Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Just outside the entrance to the base, Samira gave birth to a litter of four kittens. By the time she was discovered, two of the kittens were dead. Knowing that the Americans had an Army vet assigned to the base, the Royal Guard kindly turned over the severely dehydrated and starving animals. The vet returned them to good health and placed the kittens in good homes.

But what to do about Sami? When it came to adoption, she had more than the harsh environment and the streets working against her. She had also apparently suffered blunt force trauma to the left side of her face, the kind that might result from hitting a wall or falling from a high distance, and possibly a stroke, which led to some paralysis and loss of feeling. She lost control over her left eye, which she can’t completely close or blink, and the left side of her mouth which lets a tooth protrude. Even her whiskers on the left are not as long or as full as the ones on the right side.

For nine months people came and stared at Sami, who is a truly beautiful cat, but saw only her handicaps and left without taking her. It didn’t help matters that she wouldn’t let anyone touch or pick her up. You risked getting scratched if you tried—if you could even get your hands on her; she was that fast. Still, the vet wouldn’t give up and kept looking for a home.

I happened across a photo of Sami on the clinic’s website, and was immediately smitten. I told myself it was okay to just look. I couldn’t easily adopt a cat, given my constraints. I thought it would be impossible to transport her back to Vashon at the end of my assignment. When I got to the clinic there were workers waiting in bemusement to see what would happen when I tried to pick her up. They warned me off, so I sat in a chair in front of her kennel, and didn’t approach her. She came out, sauntered directly over to me, hopped up on my lap, curled in my arms and purred. She stretched up and licked my face with a look in her eyes that said, “What took you so long?”

Everyone in the room realized immediately that I had just been adopted. Now I had to worry about the logistics of getting my new girl home. I made arrangements to pick her up the next day—which would also give me time to see what, if any, cat supplies I could find in Riyadh! When I returned, inside waiting to greet me and offer congratulations was the Air Base Commanding General, who it turns out is a “cat person” too. There were about 15 U.S. security personnel who had helped care for Sami over the past nine months, and had come to say goodbye. Most surprising was seeing that the Royal Guards who first found Sami had come to say goodbye as well. Despite her feisty nature she was a sweet presence and would be sorely missed by all.

It took two months to complete all the paperwork necessary to bring Samira home to Vashon Island, in Puget Sound. She needed an Export Permit from the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture, a European Union health certificate to land in France, and a U.S.D.A. Health Certificate to land and disembark at Sea-Tac. These documents were her “pet passport.” In the end, Samira came home in style, riding all the way to Seattle in the cabin with me.

The day we left, Samira was too sleepy to notice due to a sedative the vet gave her; something I was soon to regret. The first leg was from Riyadh to Paris. About half way through the seven-hour flight, Sami began to cry, scratch and bite at the webbed sides of the carrier. The sedative that worked according to prescription at ground level was suddenly affecting her like PCP, and she was freaking out. Fortunately, most of the airline crew were either “cat people,” or had seen this happen before. They let me take Sami into the crew’s lounge. After two hours the sedative wore off. Sami calmed down finally, genuinely exhausted from the ordeal. The Air France crew was incredibly supportive. They each came to see how she was doing, and brought her breakfast. To my surprise, even the airport veterinarian stopped by.

Sami is now at our home on Vashon, and has learned to trust my wife, Uwanna, and get along with at least Trill, one of our other two cats. We have to keep her separated from the baby, Phoebe. I believe the lesson of Samira’s story is that it took caring and charitable actions by a lot of people from a number of countries, backgrounds, and religions to save her and bring her here, to a loving home with acres of fenced property, where she is discovering the color green, cold weather, and yes—rain—for the first time. When it rains, and since this is Seattle that means all the time, she can’t wait to get outside and play in it. It fascinates her!

Epilogue: Sami is healthy and cancer free, still a little crazy, and living in Moscow with her guardians and housemate cats. She’s quite the international gadabout.

Beta Carotene will neutralize free radicals in your pet’s system, but it needs the help of Vitamin D3, which assists Beta Carotene in its free radical fighting functions; and Lecithin, which will break up blockages and cellular wastes generated by free radicals.

Preventing And Fighting Cancer In Cats And Small Dogs Quick Glance Chart

Supplement

Breakfast

Dinner

Brand

Strength

Beta Carotene (softgels only)

1 softgel

1 softgel

Puritan’s Pride #1520

10,000 IU

Vitamin D3 (softgels only)

1 softgel

1 softgel

Solgar (visit vitaminlife.com)

400 IU

Lecithin Granules

1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon

Puritan’s Pride #1064

NA

Cats and dogs can be finicky about what they’ll eat. Unless you have trained your companion to accept pills directly from your hand into her mouth, it’s best to conceal the supplements. Both Beta Carotene and D3 are small and can easily be hidden in her food. You can try concealing the softgels in the food itself, or find something else she likes to wrap it in before placing it in the food.For Dogs: cream cheese seems to work really well. It comes in different flavors, and the original is tasty too. It shapes easily around the supplements and can be buried like a seed in the food, or placed on top like an extra treat. Beta Carotene and D3 softgels can be wrapped in one ball of cream cheese together because they’re small.For Cats: I’m wracking my brain to think of something other than cream cheese to wrap the supplements in, because a steady diet of dairy is not good for cats. Peanut butter, tofu? If anyone has any suggestions please write a comment so we can share it with others. Lecithin granules are tasteless and may be mixed with the pet food.

Dogs can be finicky about what they’ll eat. Unless you have trained your companion to accept pills directly from your hand into his mouth, it’s best to conceal the supplements. Both Beta Carotene and D3 are small and can easily be hidden in his food. You can try concealing the softgels in the food itself, or find something else he likes to wrap it in before placing it in the food.Cream cheese seems to work best for dogs. It comes in different flavors, and the original is tasty too. It shapes easily around the supplements and can be buried like a seed in the food or placed on top like an extra treat. Beta Carotene and D3 softgels can be wrapped in one ball of cream cheese together because they’re small. The larger Lecithin softgels can each be wrapped in its own ball of cheese. Lecithin granules are tasteless and may be mixed with the pet food.

Preventing And Fighting Cancer In Large Dogs Quick Glance Chart

Supplement

Breakfast

Dinner

Brand

Strength

Beta Carotene (softgels only)

3 softgels

3 softgels

Puritan’s Pride #1223

25,000 IU (equivalent to 15 mg)

Vitamin D3 (softgels only)

2 softgels

2 softgels

Puritan’s Pride #15605

1000 IU

Lecithin softgels

2 softgels

2 softgels

Puritan’s Pride #303

1200 mg

Lecithin granules

1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon

Puritans Pride #1064

NA

Dogs can be finicky about what they’ll eat. Unless you have trained your companion to accept pills directly from your hand into his mouth, it’s best to conceal the supplements. Both Beta Carotene and D3 are small and can easily be hidden in his food. You can try concealing the softgels in the food itself, or find something else he likes to wrap it in before placing it in the food.Cream cheese seems to work best for dogs. It comes in different flavors, and the original is tasty too. It shapes easily around the supplements and can be buried like a seed in the food or placed on top The Beta Carotene and D3 softgels can be wrapped in one ball of cream cheese together because they’re small. The larger Lecithin softgels can each be wrapped in its own ball of cheese, like an extra treat. Lecithin granules are tasteless and may be mixed with the pet food.

NOTES

► If Beta Carotene is taken without also taking Vitamin D, it will deplete the stores of Vitamin D and a Vitamin D deficiency may develop. As a rule, Beta Carotene and Vitamin D should always be taken together.

► I have recommended Puritan’s Pride brand because their Lecithin is from soybeans only, and contains a minimum of 70 mg of phosphatides in each 1200 mg softgel, equivalent to 61 percent phosphatides. The value of a Lecithin product is determined by the percentage of phosphatides it contains, because they activate the emulsifying process in mammals. You may use another brand, but make sure it conforms to or exceeds these specifications or it will not work.

Please be nice to each other, and look for my next post: Blog 17: Constipation, where I give you a quick way to get immediate, long lasting, and natural relief.

Lynn Capehart Wellness Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, meaning that any donation you make is tax deductible. We appreciate your support for our current efforts to establish a Vitamin Scholarship Program, so that we may supply supplements to those who could be cured of their disorders, but who cannot afford the annual cost. You may make your donations to lynncapehartnonprofit@outlook.com at www.paypal.com using any credit card or bank anywhere in the world. Thank you.

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